Terminate Infection
by Issuldra Moonfang
Summary: The only story in my previous series. I never was able to get it off the ground.
1. Chapter 1 The Twilight Star

Fox dazed listlessly into space. After a trying battle with the Aparoid queen, he was weary. His eyes grew heavy, and he wanted to doze off.

—Come on, Fox. Snap out of it!—

Falco's voice snapped Fox out of his daydream.

—Sorry, Falco. I'm tired from all the excitement.—

—Don't worry, Fox—Peppy said.—We should be near communication range with the Beltino Orbital Gate soon.—

A short pause followed.

—Fox?—

—Yes, Krystal?—

—I'm sensing something in the distance.—

—I agree with ya' Krystal.—Peppy said.

—There are approximately twenty ships on radar. Seven appear to be armed.—ROB jumped in with his monotone voice.

—Attention! You are surrounded. State who you are immediately! Any show of resistance will be countered; consider yourself warned.—a commanding voice tore Fox from any previous weariness that he once had.

—We are Star Fox; a band of mercenaries hired by the Cornerian Army to wipe out the Aparoids. We are exhausted, and have no reason to oppose you.—

—We will allow you to come on board and rest yourselves, granted that all of your weapons are confiscated and you cause us no troubles. We will also carry you as far as we can.—

By the time that Star Fox had finally docked, they were greeted by a tall, slender black vixen. Her black eyes seemed both warm and penetrating, as if she was searching for even a hint of compassion. Her armor was simple show-regalia, but it still cast an aura of authority about her. The smoothly polished red rubies glowed in the various shades of grey that made up her armor. Her ebony hair flowed just as easily as her cape, made of a light and iridescent material that looked purple on one side and blue on the other.

"Surely you are the High Queen of Cerinia," Krystal said as she fell to her knees.

"Rise Krystal, for I am no longer the ruler of you and your people. My title has been reduced because I have no kingdom. I am now just an elder, guiding these people to what we hope will be sanctuary. By the way, my name is Amarra."

"I am Fox McCloud, leader of the Star Fox team."

"I am Falco Lombardi, Fox's ace pilot."

"I am Slippy Toad, the team's mechanic."

"I'm Peppy Hare, and I serve as the navigator, as well as other jobs."

"I am ROB, I am the robot of the team."

"And I know Krystal, the team's newest member," Amarra finished. "I welcome you on board the _Neivieh Ara,_ or the _Twilight Star_, team Star Fox. We are bound for what is known as the Lylat System, and you can stay on board as long as you need. Let me know if there is anything you need."

"Amarra," Krystal spoke up. "We too are headed for the Lylat System. Thank you for letting us come on board."

"It was no problem. And since we are headed for the same destination, it only seems fair. Besides, you and your team can help us get there."

Krystal and Amarra were now walking side-by-side, as the rest of the Star Fox team were guided to their rooms. They wanted to give Krystal a chance to chat with someone of her own people, while they enjoyed a bath.

"Amarra, where are my parents?"

"They are fine. I checked myself; they're on a different ship. We are twenty ships in number. Here we are." Amarra paused before a room that was only a short walk down the hall from her friend's rooms, and she would be able to do as she pleased. Just as Amarra was about to walk away, Krystal stopped her.

"Amarra, what happened?"

"Not now, Krystal. You need your rest." Amarra walked off, leaving Krystal standing there at her door. Flashes of being shoved onto a small escape pod flashed before here eyes. Suddenly, she was back on that fateful day, when she was lost forever to her people.

There were only two other warriors. They had pushed her onto a small ship, and these two brave men were desperate to save as many as they could. As she looked at them, she saw that they had suffered many wounds from that harrowing battle. Caroga, a large badger, taught Krystal how to fly the ship before she died, leaving Krystal to the company of Saran, a young but wise tiger. He too soon passed away, and Krystal honored their wishes and dumped their bodies into space. She floated on, a sad and alone child drifting on the random solar winds. She soon fell asleep and, unbeknownst to her, a force far greater than any evils she had previously faced.

"Krystal, are you okay?"

Krystal snapped out of her daydream to whir around and see Fox standing behind her, wearing a light pine green tunic with a fire red sash that came down from his right shoulder and followed to wrap around his waist. Two intricately woven buttons were bound to the cloth by delicate knots that seemed to have no end to its cord.

"Krystal?" Fox called to her once more, hoping nothing was wrong with her.

"I'm fine, really."

"Amarra wants us to change into clean clothing so she can meet us. She left some on everyone's bed."

"Thanks."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need to get cleaned up." Krystal opened her door. "Oh, and Fox…"

"Yes?"

"You look handsome." Krystal disappeared into her room before she could see Fox blushing.

An hour later, Amarra had invited them to the bridge of the _Twilight Star_ to talk about several important things.

"First things first. You mentioned that there was a fast and reliable way to get to Lylat."

"Its through the Beltino Orbital Gate. And even better is that with a ship this size, we should be able to contact my dad there." Slippy was enthused to get home.

"Well then, Slippy; you can go over there to the navigations and communications area and help them with that." Amarra motioned to a small area to their left where maps flashed on the screens. He went on his way.

"So, Amarra; what happened to the Cerinians after I was separated?"

"Well—"

"Ma'am! There is a small fleet of battle ships heading our way!"

Amarra stood up as the radar view was brought up on screen. "Seven battleships and three lone ships? Let us hope for their sake that they do not plan to attack. Commander! Have they spotted us yet?"

A small orange tabby stood smartly, saluting his superior. "No ma'am!" Amarra looked back at the radar. Silence filled the air.

"Open a com-wave to our ships alone!"

The radar view disappeared as nineteen other smaller panels cluttered the screen.

"Attention to ships numbered as follows: 7 through 15, as well as 19. Fall back; generate your cloak-shields. You are to maintain this status until further orders. All other ships are to follow me."

The com-wave disconnected as all the ships fell into place. This made a total of only five ships left in sight of the slowly approaching force. The _Twilight Star_ was the only battle-cruiser amongst them. It was not long that the mysterious group of battleships made contact.

"Who are you?" It was none other that Wolf O'Donnell. Fox silently cursed himself, knowing that Wolf was after him.

"I believe you are in no position to ask questions, stranger," Amarra coolly remarked to him. Wolf laughed a little before a shot of pain cut it short to a small chuckle.

"It is you who is overpowered, stranger! Now, tell me. Have you seen a group of four blue-and-white ships pass through?"

"What is it to you?"

"You have!"

"Well, if you knew I had seen them all along then why did you ask me in the first place!"

Wolf was growing steadily angered. "If you don't hand them over now, I'll destroy you!"

Now it was Amarra's turn to be angered. "No one threatens my people! Especially not one in your position!"

"ATTACK!" Wolf called out to his men. The fight was on.


	2. Chapter 2: The DragoCerinians

All the battleships on Wolf's side launched their full power, with Wolf and his teammates Leon and Panther striking with their Wolfens. His com-system was abuzz with the confident remarks of his men.

—We got 'em cornered!—

—There's only one battleship on their side; they can't win!—

Wolf sent back encouragement.

—That's it, men! Give 'em blood n' vinegar!—

Back on the _Twilight Star_, Fox and his team were confused and desperate.

"Amarra, if you don't call on the other ships, we'll be—"

Fox was cut off when the _Twilight Star_ shot down. The ships that were hidden suddenly appeared.

"Lieutenant!"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Open a com-wave to everyone."

The link connected as the battle stopped.

"Cerinian fighters, you heard this Wolf O'Donnell;" she emphasized on his name, "he wants his men to give us 'blood n' vinegar.' Our policy is to give what is expected to be received, or even that which is given. But I leave it to you; do we return the favor or let them pass?"

An uneasy silence settled over. Then, all the captains of each and every ship called out their cry.

"Aiyamaeeeee!"

The cry resounded even after the captains were finished. Krystal knew what they had said, and she whispered the word to her friends. It was clear that they were to get no explanation.

"Death…."

No sooner that she had spoke it, the guns of every ship fired off, destroying all of Wolf's battleships. The Wolfens could be seen flying off, each pilot shocked by what they had seen. Star Fox looked to Amarra. Her entire frame was tight with her ears turned back and every strand of fur on her body standing up. As soon as Star Wolf was out of sight, Amarra calmed down, knowing that her people were safe. She turned to Star Fox, who nearly jumped when she looked at them.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." She sat down, relaxing in her favorite armchair.

"Now then, the fate of Cerinia. You see Krystal, though you were a loyal guardian and friend to me, I could not allow you to see the death of your people. You were the only person we were able to evacuate."

"Why?" By now, Krystal's voice was breaking with sorrow, and tears swam in her eyes.

"Because King Xerxes and his force of Drago-Cerinians descended upon us. Xerxes was the son of King Darius, whom had created a treaty between us. We never even suspected rebellion.

"Xerxes charged upon the capital city of Alma-Dar with such ruthlessness that it was a miracle that anyone was able to escape. Xerxes had built a force so strong that the only choice for survival was a total evacuation of the planet. Riders sped before the death that the Drago-Cerinians brought in order to warn civilians of the danger. But without the Cerinians to keep balance in the planet's natural power, the planet was supposed to be doomed. But Xerxes had managed to save the planet somehow. I cannot help but remember the vow he made as we left our rightful home.

"He swore that all Cerinians would die, even if he had to chase us to Hades and back. But in the time that we have drifted, he has not seemed to follow us."

Krystal could not help but begin to sob. Fox held her close and allowed his shirt to dry her tears. He began to stroke her head, whispering to her. She slowly cried herself to sleep within the warmth of his arms. Fox was just about to take her to her room when Amarra stopped him.

"Fox, I want to thank you for watching over Krystal. She not only protected my life, but she has become a close friend. If I hadn't known that she was safe, then I probably would have lost all will to live."

Fox nodded a silent acknowledgement and left the bridge.

Just then, Beltino's face popped on screen.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"POP! IT'S YOU!"

"Slippy! Oh, thank goodness you're okay. But the ship you're contacting me from isn't Great Fox; what happened?"

"You wouldn't believe it! The Aparoids are all gone; you're bomb worked! Now get a gate opened so I can tell you the rest!"

Fox rounded the corner that lead to Krystal's room. He opened the door and carried her through, feeling a strange sense of dejavu. He shook it loose as he set Krystal down on her bed and tucked her in. He kissed her on the forehead and smiled when she rolled over, apparently dreaming of him as she blushed. With that, Fox turned to leave.

_Klang! Rour, rour, rour..._

Fox followed the sound to the kitchen. He stopped just as a can halted at his feet. Slowly picking up the can, he proceeded to return it to its place on the shelf. When he turned around, he was stopped by a pair of cold, yellow eyes staring into him.

Thanks for reading my second chapter, and I'm happy with all the stuff I'm getting! I'm sorry it took so long to post this chapter, but I've been swamped with home work! Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Issuldra Moonfang


	3. Chapter 3: A Legacy

Fox could not move.

It was as though the gaze of those eyes had summoned chains to bind him. He felt like he was in chorus sinking and rising through water. Thoughts floated within his mind. Flashes of him, drifting on the currents, lost to all those he knew. Then, he saw Krystal. He yelled out to her; he knew she would come to help him. He called maybe twice, and then a strange and ominous figure approached her through the fog.

It was a truly bizarre creature that loomed over Krystal. Its face was like that of a wolf's, with large horns jutting out from behind his ears. In his three-clawed hands he held a large, crooked scimitar that glistened even in the fog. The rest of his large form was hidden by a dark cloak. Unfortunately, Krystal did not see him; she was waving at Fox.

The blade flashed as it fell upon Krystal, and Fox could feel her life being cast unto the winds. Fox could not utter a word as he watched her body collapse. The figure was laughing at him, mocking him for not saving her. The creature's raspy voice never quite penetrated into Fox's mind; the shock of it all had shattered all will he had.

"Fox…"

He heard Krystal's voice.

"Fox!"

When he came out of his spell, he no longer saw those two yellow eyes burning into his soul. Instead, he saw Krystal's eyes gazing gently into his.

Krystal shook her head. "I will _never_ understand you."

Fox could only smile at her.

When they got to the bridge, Fox told Amarra about the eyes that he saw in Krystal's room.

"Hm…a strange creature. Did you see it leave?"

"No, not really…." Fox blushed, knowing that there would be no way he could tell anyone about the vision he had.

Amarra sent out search parties, warning them to stay together. She then notified the other ships and asked if they would search around as well. Star Fox decided to rummage around as well, to try and pay back Amarra for all the kindness she had shown them.

Fox knew it was his luck when they arrived at the forest garden. It was the only place that the others did not think to look. The foliage was thick, meaning that visibility was low. There was no telling who would sneak up on who, so Fox, Falco, and Krystal kept together. Peppy and Slippy had remained with Amarra to help her with navigation.

The trio nearly jumped at the sound of laughter. As they approached the source, every muscle in their body tensed. They were surprised to find it was only a group of kids, taunting something high in the trees. A high-pitched whine rang through the air as one of the kid's stones hit the poor creature. It fell to the floor with a resounding thump, knocked unconscious. Fox drew back; this creature looked much like the one he saw in his vision, except it wasn't as big, nor did it seem as powerful. Krystal also recognized it, and the children ran from it when she said what it was:

"A Drago-Cerinian!"

When the Drago-Cerinian awoke, it found its arms bound to the floor of a small room. It tried to rise, but the chains were only long enough for it to bow.

"I am Calmira, daughter of King Darius! I demand to know why I am being held captive!"

Amarra quickly reprimanded her for her rude boldness. "You are being held captive because you are not only a stowaway, but a Drago-Cerinian as well. You never told anyone that you were on board!"

Calmira knelt lower to the ground, but a rebellious flame still burned within her. She wanted to hold her tongue, but knew for her sake that she shouldn't.

"I told no one because I knew that I would cause trouble being on board. I wanted none of this. I also feared that you would toss me back into Xerxes' grasp. I fear him; I will not deny this. I watched him kill my father and mother, and he held their severed heads high like trophies. He loathed all that King Darius had achieved, and he seeks even now to destroy everything my father and mother stood for." By now, she was in tears. "It has been years since my parents' death, and I have been running for so long. I have forgotten that there are those that are compassionate; I have forgotten all my manners and lessons that I once held so dear. Those teachings are all I have left…."

Calmira was silent, her head held low in a quiet memory of her parents. Amarra knew that all she said was true. There was no way to make up what Calmira said. She could not help but feel sorry. Amarra knelt down beside Calmira. She unlocked the chains and helped her to her feet. Calmira nodded her head, acknowledging that Amarra was now her master.

"Calmira, you know Xerxes more than anyone else here. Do you believe that he is following us?"

"Yes, Amarra. He will not rest until all Cerinians are gone. Xerxes is ruthless, and his resources abound. I will not be surprised if he is just outside of the range of radar." Calmira then motioned toward Fox. "I'm sorry I scared you so bad earlier. But what you saw; it will come to pass if Xerxes is not stopped. But I will tell everyone here this: Xerxes is mine. I have sworn to avenge the deaths of my father and mother. I must fulfill it."

Fox would never be able to forget the look in Calmira's eyes at that moment. Instead of the deep, amber-yellow eyes he saw before, he now saw blazing carmine pools alight with rage. He recognized the anger as he looked back to his own father's death so long ago….

"You lost someone close to you, didn't you?"

It seemed like only a moment after he had recollected that sacred tragedy, but in truth it was hours. Everyone else had long given up in trying to snap him out of his trance, and it was Calmira that had kept them from carrying him off to the infirmary. Now the rage had subsided, and two kind and deep amber pools stared at him with a strange sort of kindness. Fox's eyes began to fill with tears and his breathing became labored. He thought about all the bad things he had said to his father, and wanted dearly to take them all back. Calmira held him close; she was the only other soul that knew his pain. He seemed so small compared to her. She was nearly twice as tall as him, but it didn't matter. She effortlessly picked him up in her arms and cradled him. It felt good.

Now it was his turn to fall asleep smiling. The pain was all forgotten in a dream world. There was his mother, his father standing next to her, and he was still a little boy with not a care in the world.

As Calmira carried him through the halls to his room, she expected the Cerinians to draw away in fear. But they didn't. They simply nodded a greeting and continued on their ways. Calmira could not help but start to cry when a little girl wanted to give her a wreath of flowers to wear. She had to turn it down, but promised to come back for it later.

When Calmira arrived at Fox's room, she set him on a nearby sofa and left him to rest. There were other things to think about for her.

It was not long that the Gate successfully connected and the fleet of Cerinian ships had landed at the Cornerian Air Force Base. Krystal wanted to watch for her parents, but it would have to wait. People swarmed over the Star Fox team, showering them with praises and greetings. But the crowd parted when a small, battle-scared red vixen came through. Her deep violet eyes seemed to spark when she saw the team.

"It's nice to see you again, son."

Fox embraced his mother, who was about the same size as him. She had been fighting for years as a free-lance mercenary, so Fox never got to see her.

"What will it take to get you to visit more? Grandkids?"

She chuckled. "No, but there are more important things to talk about."

Fox saw the worry in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Fox, I have been with the Cloudrunners, trying to get them to make peace with the Earthwalkers. While there, I heard several rumors saying that the Cloudrunners fled the Aparoids because they were cowards. But that's not the real reason."

"What is it?"

"They ran because they sensed something different. Several said that while flying, they saw two shooting stars, a blue one and a purple one. They felt that it meant danger, and decided to take shelter."

"Why such concern with the stars?"

She glared at him. "Sauria is a primitive planet. They rely on the stars for many things! Besides, I checked the Krazoan Records, and they say that something like this happened millions of years ago: The Resurrection of The Celestial Guards!"

Everyone fell hushed when she uttered these words. They knew that she was talking about the Twilight Guardian and Moonstar Hunter, two fabulous creatures that were entrusted with the sacred duty to protect Lylat from trouble. Even James McCloud himself believed in them; the logo for the Star Fox team was based on the Twilight Guardian. They had not been seen for years.

Fox's mother grew angered at all the people staring at her, and she quickly hurried Fox away, hoping to talk elsewhere. Meanwhile, everyone else went about their business, all working to get the Cerinians settled in.

Rosa (that was the name of Fox's mother) had pulled Fox into an empty antechamber.

"That was close. You'd think they didn't have any manners."

Fox shook his head. "Still the same, aren't we mother?"

"That bears no importance here. What matters is figuring out if the two stars they saw really were the Celestial Guards."

"Rosa? Is that you? You old girl, how are you?"

Rosa jumped at the sound of General Pepper's voice. She turned around, a fake smile spread across her face. For her, seeing the General was the last thing she wanted.

"Why hello, General Pepper. I'm doing fine! In fact, I was discussing very private matters with my son, so why don't you go greet the rest of Star Fox, hm?"

"Well—"

"Sir, there's a problem!" A young captain had come in, his face pale with fright.

"What is it?" Rosa knew she should have let the General ask, but she didn't care.

"It's the Celestial Guards."

Rosa, despite her old age, was out the door before the captain even finished his sentence.

What everyone saw was devastating. The Twilight Guardian had collapsed, covered in an Aparoid infection. The Moonstar Hunter, who was not doing much better, was hovering nearby, watching over his mate. Everyone knew that the both of them were near death. Slowly, the Twilight Guardian raised her head. Dreary eyes scanned the crowd. Everyone was shocked to hear her speak, but her mouth never moved.

-McCloud?-

Somehow, Fox knew she was talking to him. He approached her, the Moonstar Hunter eyeing him cautiously. When he looked into the Twilight Guardian's eyes, he saw many things. He saw love, hope, pain, sorrow, and joy. But what he saw greatest of all was fear.

-You have done good to protect Lylat for me. I entrust to you my tale; I am too weak to tell everyone.-

Fox nodded.

-Many years ago, the first Apariod dared to enter Lylat. Your father was the only one to see us destroy it, so that is how Star Fox began. I told him that the Moonstar Hunter and I would be going off to find the home world of the Aparoids and destroy it. He was entrusted to fight for the innocence of Lylat while we were gone. He was also allowed to pick his teammates. I'm sorry for what happened to him; I feel like it's my fault.-

Fox looked away for an instant, for the sorrow in her eyes made him feel like taking his own life. "_She must feel even worst,_" he thought to himself.

-It took us awhile, but we soon arrived at our destination. We fought many battles against the queen, each one ending in a standoff. But she soon overpowered us, managing to infect us. We got away, desperate to prevent them from getting our power.-

She had to stop. The pain was to much for her to bear any longer. Tears flowed down her face, and she struggled to force herself up. After looking at each other one last time, both pointed their noses to the sky and relinquished a final howl.

-Remember Fox; continue your father's legacy! We will return again to protect Lylat, but you cannot let it fall before then!-

As she said this, she was slowly fading away, disappearing before them. Everyone could not help but cry.

The Celestial Guards had given their lives to terminate the Aparoid infection.

THE END

or is it….

Thanks for reading my first actual story! If there were some things you were confused about, then don't worry; I am working on a website you can visit to get the low-down on some of the characters!

And if you want more, then don't worry about that either! I have another story on the way that tells a little more about the overall plot, so stay tuned!


	4. Author's Note

To those that are only watching this story, I have continued it in a different story, creating a series. Here is the list in Chronos order:

Terminate Infection

Broken Wings

Chaos Hearts

Fleeting Twilight (first ch posted at time of documentation)

Final Breath (to be posted)

I know I said 4 books, but I had to tweak some.

Also, I currently have a website that will explain some details, but it is under construction. You can still get information there, though.


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